The Diagnosis
by TheBeautifulNerd
Summary: Lily faints whilst at work and is in an accident on the way home. After having a couple of days off of work though, she still isn't herself and the staff at the ED start to wonder if it's something more than stress.
1. The Return to Work

Chapter One: The Return to Work

"Lily!" Robyn cheered enthusiastically, rushing up to the junior doctor. "Hey, you're back," she added and patted Lily on the shoulder gently. "Are you feeling better?" Lily smiled politely at her colleague and nodded, adjusting her glasses slightly. "Nice of Connie to give you a few days off, eh? Did you get plenty of rest?"

"Yes, thank you," Lily said and pushed past Robyn, heading straight into the ED.

"Hey Lily," Rita greeted her, when she walked in. "It's good to have you back Darling."

"I was only off for a couple of days," Lily said. "Only because Mrs Beauchamp instructed me to."

"I know," she sighed and nodded. "Let's hope you ripped up that resignation letter."

"I did that as soon as I got home," Lily told her. "Right. What do you want me to do first?"

"Well, we have quite a major casualty coming in. There was a huge crash on the A45 of about thirty people. A school bus was involved and..." She looked up to notice Lily staring blankly on the floor, paying no attention to what she was saying. "Lily...Are you okay?"

"Fine," the girl clearly lied and looked up. "I'm fine."

"Right, well if you could maybe take care of some of the minor injuries down here with Robyn," Rita told her. "Have you spoken to Connie yet?"

"I haven't seen her yet," Lily said. "I'll try and catch her later." She glanced over at the entrance and saw Dixie and Iain making their way in, pushing the stretchers. "Okay, so what have we got here?" Lily said, heading straight over.

"Lily," Iain said, half surprised. "First day back and you're jumping straight into work? I'd be resting with a cup of tea."

"I was off for two days," Lily reminded him sharply. "What have we got?"

"Well...This is Rochelle," Dixie said. "She's fourteen. She was on the bus when it crashed. She has a broken arm and a few cuts on her head. She is also complaining of pain in her left leg."

"Okay. Get her up on the bed and we'll have a look," Lily ordered as Robyn and Rita came over to help out. "Hi Rochelle," Lily started speaking to the patient as they got her up on the bed. "My name's Lily."

"Her bedside manner has become loads better," Robyn whispered to Lily. "Compared to when she started here."

"I heard that," Lily snapped as she examined the patient. "Okay. Your arm certainly looks broken but we will do an x ray on that just to make sure. If there are no other problems, you should be able to go home today."

"My leg," Rochelle whimpered. "My leg hurts."

"Don't worry, we'll check that over for you," Rita said calmly. Rita was about to ask for something from Lily, when the curtain was pulled across and Connie walked in.

"I heard you were back," Connie said to Lily. "When you have a moment, come to my office." Lily nodded faintly as Connie walked out and closed the curtain again.

"We can deal with things here," Rita offered, gesturing to Robyn. "Go and speak to her."

"Are you sure?" Lily asked and Rita and Robyn both nodded in unison. "Okay. I'll be back." Lily left them to it and left to go to Connie's office. She was already sat in there at her desk, looking through a pile of papers.

"That was fast," Connie said, looking her up and down.

"Rita is um...taking care of the patient," Lily stuttered nervously and went to stand in front of Connie's desk. "Can I help you?"

"Are you feeling any better than before?" Connie asked and Lily nodded. "Did you get plenty of rest like I instructed?" She nodded again. "Well, it's good to have you back on board and I'm hoping that we won't see any more fainting on patients from you."

Lily shook her head. "You won't," she said. "I...I promise you."

"You can go now," Connie said, managing a small smile. Lily nodded thankfully at her and left the office, rubbing at her head as she went.

**Hope you liked the first chapter guys. I love Lily and after last weeks episode, thought it'd be a good idea to have a storyline where maybe it isn't just stress. Maybe she is actually ill with something. Let me know what you think :)**


	2. Tiredness and Headaches

**ETWentHome: Thanks so much, glad that you liked the first chapter :) **

**Guest: Thank you, loads more to come :)**

**Mini Peacelet: Thank you. I've loved Lily from the start and don't think she's had enough storylines, hoping they do have it being something more than stress in the actual show. I thought it'd be a good story, hence why I wrote it hehe :)**

**Ella: Lily is my favourite as well. I loved last week's haha, it was good. I just loved the scene where Lily completely fainted on Dylan and I was so scared that she was going to leave. Luckily she didn't :) so glad you like the story. **

**Guest: I love it when Connie's caring. Like I almost cried when she told Lily to take a few days off and that she'd love to see her back, I thought it was lovely :) **

**Guest: Of course, I love those two :) **

Chapter Two: Tiredness and Headaches

Lily was sat on the sofa in the staffroom, rubbing at her head. Her glasses were placed on the table in front of her and she just focused on a spot of dust on the floor. She wasn't paying much attention, until the door opened and Ethan walked in.

"Oh. Hey Lily," he said, clearing his throat. "Are you okay?"

Lily nodded and put her glasses back on. "Yeah," she whispered and put on a fake smile. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" He questioned.

"Just a headache," she said and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm okay. I'll be okay."

Ethan nodded and went to sit on the sofa next to her. "Maybe you should have had a bit longer off," he suggested. "The workload is obviously getting to you Lily. I don't want you to overwork yourself and Connie may be a wicked witch but I'm sure she doesn't want that either."

"You're all treating me like I can't take care of myself," Lily said.

"Well, work has been tough lately," Ethan pointed out. "We're all getting a bit stressed out but none of us have fainted on the job..."

"Don't have a go!" She snapped, turning to face him. "I already had your brother on that just the other day."

"I'm not having a go," Ethan said. "And correct me if I'm wrong, Cal wasn't either and he actually said that to you as well. I'm just saying that you're taking the stress a bit harder than the rest of us. You should have stayed off work."

"Mrs Beauchamp would have never allowed that," Lily said and glanced at her watch. "I've been out here for enough time now. I need to get back to work."

"I can cover for you," Ethan offered. "If you want a bit longer."

Lily shook her head and stood up. "No," she sighed heavily. "Thanks though." She smiled kindly at Ethan and walked out of the staffroom. Rita was standing by the receptionist desk. "How is Rochelle?" Lily asked her, referring to the patient earlier.

"She's doing loads better," Rita said. "Should be able to go home later on today."

Lily nodded and gripped the edge of the desk as she flicked through the patients notes. Rita glanced up and noticed but didn't say anything. Lily was stubborn and she didn't want to keep going on, when she'd already said that she was okay. As Lily picked up the notes though, her vision began to go blurry and a wave of dizziness overcame her. She swayed from side to side and Rita quickly sprung into action and caught her as she fell, the notes just flying everywhere.

"Rita!" Connie shouted, storming over with her clipboard. "We have an elderly man coming in. He had a stroke and I was wondering if..." She glanced up and saw Rita steadying Lily. Lily's eyes were open and although she wasn't quite with it, she was conscious at least. "Again?" Connie sighed and Rita just nodded, afraid of what Connie was going to say. "For goodness sake," she hissed through gritted teeth and slammed her clipboard down on the desk. "Well, you take the patient. I'll deal with Lily thank you."

"I think it's best if I..."

"You'll do as I say," Connie ordered sternly. "Lily. With me."

"I don't think she's quite capable of walking actually," Rita said. "She has just passed out again."

"Rita, for goodness sake!" Connie shouted, causing most of the doctor's to turn and stare at them. "Go and help Dixie get the patient out of the ambulance! I will deal with Lily!" Rita nodded, holding back her tears. "Thank you." Connie grabbed hold of Lily's arm and led her towards an empty room.

"Mrs Beauchamp, I am so sorry," Lily apologised softly.

"Sit down," Connie told her and gestured to the empty bed.

Lily sighed and nodded, perching on the edge of the bed. Connie pursed her lips together and said nothing. She grabbed a small torch and shone a light in both of Lily's eyes, causing her to squint. The curtain was pulled across and Ethan and Robyn walked in.

"What happened?" Ethan asked.

"Is she okay?" Robyn put in.

"Could you two go and do something more productive?" Connie snapped at them both and pulled the curtain back across, right in front of their faces. "Have you felt ill today?"

"Just a headache," Lily replied and shrugged her shoulders. "But I've been well enough to work."

"Clearly not because you just passed out again," Connie told her. "Lily. This has to stop. You are a doctor here and patients will start complaining if you keep fainting on the job. Every single doctor here is stressed out BUT they are doing their job! Cal had to deal with a patient who had a stick through their leg the other day and do you think he fainted right in front of them?"

"I told you that it wasn't squeamishness," Lily reminded her, feeling herself starting to well up.

"No," Connie scoffed and shook her head. "You told me that it was because you missed breakfast. Lily, I was kind to you. I let you off that once and I gave you a couple of days off to rest and get your act together. If you're telling me that you fainted because you missed breakfast again, then that is just being careless. Don't you agree with me? Just stay in here, get your act together and come and see me when you have." She glared at her and walked straight out.

Lily slid off the end of the bed and grabbed hold of it, when she felt herself going dizzy again. The curtain was pulled across and Ethan stood there.

"Need help?" He asked, seeing her bent over and gripping the edge of the bed.

Lily nodded pleadingly. "Please," she managed quietly.

Ethan picked up the torch that was lying on the floor and placed it on the bed, before helping Lily steady herself. "Why don't you go and lie down?" He asked.

"I need to speak to Mrs Beauchamp," she said, pushing him away.

"When you aren't feeling dizzy," Ethan said. Lily nodded and fell straight to the floor, gripping Ethan's hand. "Come on, lie down." He helped her up and got her to lie down on the bed. "You're a patient for now. I'm signing you off work for at least a couple of hours."

"That isn't your decision," Lily told him.

"It is now because I'm the one dealing with you," Ethan said. "Get some sleep, have a drink and something to eat and then when you're feeling better you can speak to Mrs Beauchamp. For now, rest. I'll come and check on you in a bit."

"Ethan," Lily called him back as he went to leave.

"Yeah?" He turned back round.

She smiled at him. "Thank you."


	3. Behaviour Changes

**theverystuffoflife: I love Lily. She needs a proper storyline, which is why I'm hoping they go somewhere with the stress storyline. I'm really happy you like it :)**

**ETWentHome: Thanks so much :)**

**CBloom2: Ethan will look after her. He's lovely :)**

**Ella: Aww, thanks. I try to update as much as I possibly can. I'm really happy you love my idea :)**

**Tanith Panic: Haha, me too. You will see a really caring side of Connie in this story :)**

Chapter Three: Behaviour Changes

There was a loud knock on Connie's office door.

"Come in!" She called and looked up from her work. The door opened and Dylan walked in. "Dylan," Connie sighed. "What can I do for you?"

"Where's Lily?" He asked and shut the door behind him, standing with his hands on his hips.

"With any luck, getting some rest," she said. "She fainted again earlier."

"Again?" Dylan's eyes widened. "This is getting ridiculous. What's going on with that girl?"

Connie shrugged her shoulders, although she didn't look too bothered. "Could be pregnant?" She suggested out of the blue.

"Pregnant?" Dylan scoffed. "Lily? Who'd have sex with her?"

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Connie said. "The only time I ever fainted was when I was pregnant with Grace." The door opened all of a sudden and Lily walked in. "Lily," Connie sighed heavily, putting her pen down and running her hands down her face. "You do not enter my office without knocking. Do me a favour, go back out, knock and come back in. Thank you."

Lily rolled her eyes and backed out of the office. She shut the door and knocked.

"Come in," Connie called and Lily walked back in. "Lily. What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

"Nice to see you standing for once," Dylan joked.

"Um..." Lily fidgeted nervously. "You told me to come and see you."

"Take a seat." Connie gestured to the chair in front of her desk. "Dylan. I'll speak to you later about the rota. I just need a moment with Lily." Dylan nodded and left the office without a word, the door slamming shut behind him. "What's going on with you?" Connie asked but Lily just shrugged my shoulders. "Lily, you are a grown woman. I know you can make your own decisions but if you are not well enough then you shouldn't be working."

"I'm well enough to work," Lily snapped. "Mrs Beauchamp, please."

"You said that last time and look what happened," Connie reminded her. "Okay, if you are adament that this is not going to happen again then I'll let you get back to work and we'll say no more about it."

"Rita will try and send me home," Lily told her and stood up.

"You leave Rita to me," Connie sighed. "Just get back to what you were doing."

Lily nodded thankfully and walked out, bumping into Rita on the way out.

"Feeling better Darling?" She asked and rubbed her arm. Lily nodded. "Okay, are you sure you should be working? I mean I thought Ethan was keeping an eye on you."

"I'm fine," Lily said.

"Well, we have a man with a dislocated shoulder," Rita told her. "He'd fallen down the stairs at home but won't listen to any of us and from what I've gathered, his wife has just died."

"Where is he?" Lily asked.

"Just over there," Rita said and pointed to a room where Ethan was. Lily nodded and headed straight over to help. Rita waited until Connie came out of her office. "Why is she still here?" Rita whispered.

"Just keep an eye on her for me," Connie whispered back and walked off.

Rita sighed and went over to help Ethan and Lily with the next patient. The man was lying on the bed, groaning in pain, whilst Ethan shone a light in his eyes. Lily smiled at Rita who went to stand next to her.

"So how long were you unconscious for when you hit your head?" Ethan asked.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?" The man cursed aggressively.

"Mr Paterson, we are only trying to help you!" Lily shouted at him. "Now just shut up and let us do our jobs!"

The man glanced up at Ethan out of the corner of his eye. "Are you really going to let her speak to me like that? If I was in charge around here, I'd be sending her packing. The little bitch."

"Right!" Lily slammed down her stethescope and pointed a finger at him. "I do not have to treat you. If you don't want my help then fine but don't you dare..." The curtain was pulled open and Connie walked in. "Don't you dare say stuff like that about me," Lily continued.

"Lily," Connie whispered and crossed her arms.

"I am a doctor and you are a patient," Lily carried on, totally ignoring Connie. "And if you don't want to get better, then I certainly do not want to help you. Good day Sir." She turned round and stormed out, not even acknowleging Connie standing there.

"Are you in charge around here?" The man spat rudely at Connie. "Is this the way you train your staff to behave?"

"Um...Doctor Chao has been having problems herself Sir," Ethan informed him. "Maybe if you hadn't called her a bitch..."

"Ethan, don't get involved," Connie cut him off. "I mean, we have to be confidential around our doctors as well, not just our patients."

"I told you she should have gone home," Rita told Connie. "Look at the state of her Connie."

Connie said nothing to Rita but she seemed to nod in agreement. She left her and Ethan to it and walked out. Dylan was waiting for her.

"Lily's gone home," he said quietly.

"Hmmm, maybe it's for the best," Connie said and headed back into her office.

**Hope you liked it guys. Just for the record, Lily is NOT pregnant! Haha. By the way guys, how old do you think Lily actually is?**


	4. Decisions

Chapter Four: Decisions

Lily had just woken up from a well-deserved nap and was currently lying on the couch at home in her living room. She felt sick and she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. The doorbell rang. She looked up at the clock standing on top of the fireplace and saw that it was exactly 5:33pm. She could barely see what was in front of her so she gripped the couch to steady herself and walked over slowly to answer the door.

It was Robyn.

"Robyn," Lily said, surprised and rubbed at her head. "What are you doing here?"

"I um...Can I come in?" Robyn asked and Lily nodded, allowing her to follow her inside. "So you know it's Dixie's birthday next week?"

"What's that got to do with me?" Lily asked and shrugged her shoulders.

"We got her a birthday card and we're all going to sign it," Robyn said and handed the card to Lily. "Could you write a message inside for her?"

"Sure," Lily said and opened the card, squinting as she tried to read the messages from the other doctor's. "What do you want me to write?" She asked and sat down on the couch.

"Whatever you want," Robyn said and sat next to her.

Lily took a deep breath and began to slowly write a 'Happy Birthday' message to Dixie. Her writing was scribbly though and you can hardly write it.

"Sorry," she apologised, sighing in frustration at herself.

"Do you want me to write it for you?" Robyn offered, seeing that she was struggling.

Lily nodded and handed over the card and pen. "Just write Happy Birthday, have a wonderful day, love from Lily."

"Sure thing," Robyn agreed and wrote the message down on a blank spot in the card. "Connie kind of made a little announcement when you left."

"Saying what?" Lily asked quietly. "Am I fired?"

Robyn shook her head. "No, not at all," she said. "She just told us all what had happened and that you might need a bit more resting time. It kind of scared us all because she was actually being nice for once. What's going on?"

"I just haven't been feeling too good, that's all," Lily answered. "My head hurts, I feel sick and I can barely concerntrate on anything. Everyone's just been making me angry."

"Maybe you should see a doctor," Robyn said, glancing at the scribbly writing that belonged to Lily. "It's hard to believe that doctor's and nurse's get sick I know, but unfortunately we do."

"I don't need to see a doctor," Lily said. "It's either stress or just a normal stomach bug. I'll be back in work tomorrow. I just needed to get out of there today, that's all."

"We were pretty busy today," Robyn sympathised with her. "My suggestion is you just take the rest of this week off, and start fresh next week. Connie even told us that was what you might do."

"Well, she hasn't rang me," Lily pointed out.

"You know what Connie's like," Robyn laughed. "She won't ring you. She'll just expect you to turn up, whether it's tomorrow or next week."

"I'll see how I'm feeling in the morning," Lily said. "But I will more than likely be there."

"Well..." Robyn reached out to rub her shoulder. "I'll leave you to rest up. Okay? Thanks for Dixie's message. We'll be giving it to her next week."

"Sure," Lily said. "Thanks for popping by Robyn. Have a good evening."

* * *

Lily had a good think about what both Connie and Robyn had said to her. She didn't wake up until ten o'clock the next morning, hoping to go into work so she was able to speak to Connie about her plans. She still felt dizzy and like she was about to throw up and her vision was extremely blurry. Finding it best not to drive because of what happened last time, she called herself a taxi to Holby City General instead. The taxi arrived at about eleven o'clock but it didn't take long to arrive at work.

"You're late," was the first thing Dylan said to her when she walked through the doors. He then looked her up and down. "And out of uniform."

"I'm not staying," Lily told him straight out. "Where's Mrs Beauchamp? I needed to have a word with her."

"Do you think she wants to speak to you after how you behaved yesterday?" He scoffed. "Talking to a patient like that is not acceptable Lily."

"I know and I'm sorry," she sighed. "Could I please just speak to her?"

"I will see if she's available," he said and walked off in the other direction. Connie was in one of the rooms, dealing with a patient who'd just been brought in. "Ah Connie. Lily's here to speak to you."

"Good," she said, pursing her lips together. "I was hoping that she'd make an appearance at some point today."

"She's not staying," Dylan mentioned to her. "She doesn't even look dressed for work."

"Don't worry," Connie said. "I wasn't expecting her to." She turned to the patient. "I'll be back to do your x ray in a minute." The patient thanked her and she left to go and deal with Lily, who was still where Dylan had left her. "I should be giving you the sac after yesterday's behaviour," Connie said. "What do you want?"

"Just to say that I um...I'll be coming back to work next week," Lily said.

"I think that's a very wise decision to make," Connie said. "Don't you?" Lily nodded. "Lily. I'm disappointed in you because your behaviour this week has been totally unacceptable. I'm not sure if it is stress or just a stomach bug but you need to sort yourself out. I don't even care anymore so just take whatever days you need off and come back when you KNOW that you are feeling better. Understand?"

"Yes Mrs Beauchamp," Lily agreed. "Thank you."

"Go on," she sighed. "Get out of here." Lily nodded and left the hospital, getting back into the taxi that was waiting outside to go home.

**Whoopee! Another update. So yeah guys, how old do you think Lily is? I know she's a junior doctor but I'm not sure how old she's meant to be in the show.**

**I also have two other Lily and Ethan stories in mind that I'm going to write :)**


	5. The Date

**Ella: Haha I now have that image in my mind! Yeah, I don't see many Lily fanfics around here and like I said I'm writing a storyline that I'd like to see in the actual show. I'm glad you like the chapters because I wasn't sure if the story seemed rushed. I know! I heard Casualty wasn't on, because of the rugby :( I can't wait for the next episode though. Thanks again :)**

**ETWentHome: Okay thanks, I just wondered. I thought she was pretty young :)**

**CasualtyFanForever81: Thanks, glad you like the story :)**

**CBloom2: Yeah, hopefully they'll find out soon :)**

**theverystuffoflife: I remember her having a birthday but I just couldn't remember what one it was or if they even mentioned her age. 26 sounds a good age to me :)**

**Guest: Thank you, I do love caring Connie so glad you do as well. I think it's nice seeing that side of her because of how mean she can be. I will do :)**

**Whoo, another update! I'm going to make Lily around 26 by the way :) **

Chapter Five: The Date

Monday came round fast but Lily was beginning to feel loads better. She woke up at exactly 6:00 on the dot on Monday morning, showered, washed her hair, had breakfast and got into her uniform. She left her moped at home and again, called a taxi for herself, just to be on the safe side. She was at work nice and early and just in time for her shift.

She made sure to take a break around 12:00, which was the time Ethan came over to pester her.

"How's your shift going?" He asked her.

"Loads better," Lily told him. "Than the previous shifts I've had anyway. What do you want?"

"I wanted to know if you would like to hang out after work today," he said. "Everyone else is going to the pub but I thought that me and you could hang out and do something different, just the two of us."

"Are you asking me out on a date Doctor Hardy?" Lily questioned him jokingly.

"If you would like to call it that," he chuckled. "I was just thinking maybe a drink and a meal somewhere and then a game of Pool. Have you ever played Pool?"

"Pool is your idea of a perfect date, is it?" She laughed. "Sure. Sounds fun."

"Great, so we'll go straight after work yeah?" He asked and she nodded. "Great. I um...I have to head back to my shift but I'll speak to you later." He patted her on the shoulder and hurried off.

"Lily!" Connie called, making her way over.

"I know," Lily said and picked up her patients notes. "I'm off my break now, don't worry."

"I wasn't going to have a go actually Lily," she said, surprising the young doctor. "You're um...You're doing well today. Well done."

"Really?" Lily asked in shock.

Connie nodded and actually smiled at her. "Really. You've worked hard," she said and walked away, clearly running out of nice things to say. Lily smiled and gave herself a small praise in her head before hurrying back to her work.

* * *

"Lily! Ethan!" Max called, running after the two of them with Robyn. "Are you two not coming to the pub?"

"Yeah, it's going to be a blast," Robyn told them enthusiastically. "It's Karaoke night tonight."

"Sorry," Ethan apologised, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "We're um...We're going somewhere different tonight, just the two of us. We'll see you both at work tomorrow." He waved them off and walked away with Lily, leaving Robyn and Max completely stunned. "So I know this amazing restaurant that we can go to. That's if you want to. I know you haven't had much of an appetite lately, with being ill and stuff."

"No, I'd love to," Lily said. "Lead the way." She wasn't going to choose that moment to complain about her sudden headache. "So why did you want to do this tonight then?"

"I just thought it'd be nice if we spend some time together," Ethan said and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't you?"

Lily nodded. "Oh yeah, definitely," she answered.

They went to a posh Italian restaurant nearby. Lily ordered a Pepperoni Pizza and Ethan went for Spaghetti Bolognese.

"Are you going to let me buy anything?" Lily asked, when they ordered the second round of drinks.

Ethan shook his head. "No way," he chuckled. "This night is on me. Enjoy it. By the way, I am amazing at Pool."

"Are you sure about that?" She asked. "Why don't we make it interesting? Bet ten pounds on the first game?"

"Sounds good to me," Ethan shrugged.

* * *

Lily fist pumped the air as she won yet her second game of Pool. Ethan rolled his eyes and handed over the money without hesitation.

"I never thought you'd be so good at Pool," Ethan laughed.

"My dad taught me when I was a little girl," Lily said. "He and my mom used to go out and play Pool quite a bit in the evenings."

"So, are you having fun anyway?" He asked.

"Well, I hate to admit it but this is the best night I have had in a long time," Lily told him truthfully. "We should um...We should do this again sometime."

"We should," he agreed, noticing Lily wince and hold her head. "Are you okay?" He asked and she nodded, hissing in pain. "Have you got a headache again?"

"Yeah," she gasped. "Just a slight one."

"Come on," he said and placed an arm round her. "I'll get you home. Connie will most likely kill us both anyway if we're completely dead on our feet tomorrow."

"Yeah," Lily giggled. "I had a fun night though Ethan. Thank you."

Just as Ethan thought that Lily was about to kiss him, she leaned in and just wrapped her arms round him, hugging him instead. Trying to hide the disappointment, he just smiled and hugged her back.


	6. Getting Worst

**CasualtyFanForever81: Yeah so do I. I try to make Connie strict and mean like she is in the show but I am going to have her kind and caring in some places because I love it when she's like that. She has her moments in the show and I just love it :)**

**Doodle91xxx: Wow I was not expecting you to review this story because I know you don't watch Casualty, so thank you so much for that :) I'm glad you like it so far. It means a lot.**

**ETWentHome: Thank you, I loved writing that chapter so much :)**

**CBloom2: Haha, so would I! This is the last update for the night :) **

Chapter Six: Getting Worst

It had been two weeks and Lily's headache had been on and off. Her vision hadn't been much better and whilst trying to write an essay for Connie, she'd made thousands of mistakes, resulting in her giving up with it. She was at work and although she wasn't feeling up to it, she was trying not to show it.

"Rita, what does this say?" Lily asked, handing over some notes.

"History of Diabetes, possible chest pain," Rita read from the notes and handed them back. "Surely you could have read that Lily. The font wasn't that small."

"I um...I just needed a second opinion," Lily lied, slotting the notes back into the patient's file. "Thank you."

"If you're having trouble reading, maybe you should look at getting some new glasses," Rita suggested. "Just a thought to think about."

Lily dropped the folder that she was holding and rubbed at her head. Rita looked over in shock, noticing the entire folder on the floor.

"Are you okay?" She asked, picking up the folder and placing it on the nearest desk. "Lily. What's wrong Darling? Is it another headache?"

"I feel sick," Lily groaned. Her eyes rolled backwards and she fell to the floor, her whole body beginning to shake. Rita rushed over and knelt at her side, along with Robyn who had seen the entire scene from the other end of the hospital.

"What happened?" Robyn asked, not sure whether to cry or help.

"Just go and find Connie for me," Rita ordered, comfortingly stroking Lily's hair. "She's having a seizure."

Robyn scrambled to her feet and hurried off to look for Connie. It wasn't hard to find her. She and Dylan were in a room, dealing with a minor injury on a patient. Robyn hurried in, gasping for breath.

"Robyn. Can you not see that we're busy thank you?" Connie asked. "If it's urgent, get Rita instead."

"It's Lily," Robyn said. "I don't know what happened. She...She fell to the floor and she's having a seizure. Rita's with her but she asked me to get you and..."

"Okay, calm down," Connie said, immediately beginning to panic herself. "Calm down. Dylan, take care of things here for me. I'm going to have to go." Dylan nodded, deciding that it wasn't the best time for complaining. Connie handed everything over to him and quickly followed Robyn out the room. "She's been fine up until now," she told Robyn. "What happened?"

"I told you I don't know!" Robyn yelled, running a hand through her hair.

They reached the scene and saw Lily shaking violently on the floor, throwing up into a bucket that Cal was holding. Rita was kneeling next to her, trying to help and Cal was just talking silently to her.

"She's started throwing up," Cal informed Connie straight away. "She won't stop."

"Lily, Lily," Connie spoke to her and knelt down on the other side of her. "It's Mrs Beauchamp, you're going to be okay. You're doing really well." She glanced towards Rita. "What happened?" She whispered.

"She was struggling to read the notes," Rita whispered back. "Asked me for help. She kept holding her head and then next thing, she was on the floor. She's started to throw up though."

"Cal, just carry on holding the bucket for her," Connie instructed. "Rita, keep doing what you're doing. Robyn!" She glanced over her shoulder at Robyn who was still standing there. "Make sure there's a bed free for her." Robyn nodded and walked off to clear a bed. "Come on Lily. It's okay. It's okay. Just stay calm. Keep her on her side Rita." Connie stood up and moved to the nearest empty room, grabbing one of the pillows from the bed. She headed back to the scene and placed it under Lily's head for comfort.

"Calm down Sweetheart, it'll be okay," Rita comforted. "I promise you. We'll get you comfortable. You're going to be fine." She looked up and noticed everyone crowded round watching, including Dylan.

"Connie!" Charlie said, walking over and stopping in shock when he saw Lily shaking on the floor with Connie, Rita and Cal. "Um...there's a minor casualty coming in."

"Okay, just find anyone who's free," Connie said to Charlie. He nodded and walked away. "It's okay Lily. It's okay. You're doing really well. Just stay calm."

"She's stopped throwing up," Cal mentioned, removing the bucket from Lily's face.

"Okay." Connie nodded, giving Lily's hand a squeeze. "Thanks Cal. Could you go and help Charlie for me? Rita and I have things here. Thanks for your help."

Cal wasn't used to seeing the nice side of Connie but he nodded and headed off to give Charlie a hand, making a note to tell his brother about Lily.

"Connie," Robyn said quietly, slowly stepping forwards. "I've cleared a bed. Is she going to be okay?"

Connie nodded at the nurse. "Yeah," she spoke in a soft voice. "Yes Robyn. She...She'll be fine."


	7. The Aftermath

**ETWentHome: Thank you. I'm really pleased you're enjoying the story :)**

**CasualtyFanForever81: Aww thanks so much :)**

**m-is-for-MollyMansfieldMealing: I'm really happy everyone likes caring Connie. It makes a change, I love it when she has her caring moments in the show. Thanks for your lovely review :) **

**theverystuffoflife: Haha I had to go to my drama group unfortunately but I was desperate to update before I went :)**

**CBloom2: They will do indeed :)**

**Tanith Panic: I agree with you. It does make it more special :)**

**Mini Peacelet: Haha I did update quite a bit yesterday, glad you've caught up :)**

Chapter Seven: The Aftermath

"Mrs Beauchamp!" Cal called as he rushed over to her. "Um...How's Lily doing?" He asked. Lily had been taken into one of the hospital rooms after her seizure had stopped. She was currently being treated by Rita and Dylan.

"She's doing much better," Connie told him. "She's conscious, confused but seems okay."

"I called her parents but I can't get through to them," Cal told her.

Connie stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "She's twenty six Cal. What are you doing calling her parents for?"

"Well, I'm older than Lily and if that was me I would like my parents to know," Cal pointed out. "I just thought that they should know what had happened to their daughter."

"Okay fine," Connie sighed. "What did they say anyway?"

Cal looked confused. "Well..." He began. "Like I just said I couldn't get through to them. None of them were answering the phone."

"Right. Well, could you make yourself useful and go and get Rita for me?" Connie ordered sternly. "She'll be in Lily's room but I need to talk to the two of you. Thank you." Connie shoved the pile of notes that she was holding at Cal and walked away. Cal managed a small laugh and shook his head before going to find Rita. Connie went and sat in her office and it wasn't long until he returned with Rita behind him.

"What's this about?" Rita asked. "Because one of our doctors is severely ill here Connie and if you haven't noticed, needs our care."

"What happened?" She asked, looking up from rummaging through a pile of papers. "With Lily I mean. I need to know. She was off for a week, came back and was fine for about two weeks and then this happened. So, what went on?"

"I wasn't actually there when she collapsed," Cal mentioned. "I came over halfway through and Lily had started to be sick so I went to get a bucket."

Connie glanced towards Rita.

"I told you everything," she reminded her.

"I need to know the FULL story," Connie said, putting emphasis on the word full. "What happened?"

"She..." Rita sighed. "She was trying to read some notes for a patient but had to get me to do it. She was complaining that she couldn't see overly well so I suggested she maybe gets new glasses."

"Then what happened?" Connie asked, pushing for her to continue.

"Well, she dropped what she was holding and started rubbing at her head," Rita said, trying to give as much detail as possible. "I asked her if she had another headache but she just said that she felt sick and fell to the floor."

A knock on the door interrupted them.

"Who is it?" Connie called to them.

"Robyn!" Robyn called back and walked in. "Um...Sorry. I know that you're busy but there's something you might want to see."

"What?" Connie sighed.

Robyn handed over the birthday card that everyone had signed. "Dixie's birthday card. I know we'd already given it to her but I managed to grab it off her earlier, just said that I needed to show you something in it."

"Why would she want to see that?" Cal asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Check out Lily's message," Robyn said. "I mean, I wrote the rest for her but the first couple of words."

"What about them?" Rita asked as Connie scanned over the card.

"Well, you can hardly read them," Robyn told Rita. "It was like a child first learning how to write. I went round when Lily left early that day and she could barely write a letter. She was also complaining of blurred vision then as well."

"Thanks Robyn," Connie sighed and handed the card back to Robyn. "You can give that back to Dixie. Thank you though." Robyn nodded and smiled proudly before leaving the office, making sure to shut the door behind her. "Right. Well, we'll observe Lily closely but I think it is a wise idea to do a CT scan on her. Does she have history of Epilepsy?"

"None," Cal said and shook his head.

"Right, well if you can keep things running here," Connie said to Cal. "I am going to go and find Lily and Rita, you come with me." Rita nodded and followed Connie out of her office, heading towards Lily's room. Ethan and Dylan were in there with her. "What are you doing in here?" Connie asked Ethan.

"I just came to see if she was okay," he said. "Cal told me what happened."

"Well she's fine and you've seen," Connie said. "So out. You have work to do I think." Ethan nodded faintly and smiled at Lily before leaving. "How is she doing?" Connie asked Dylan.

"Mrs Beauchamp, I'm fine," Lily tried to tell her.

"You've just had a seizure Lily. I wouldn't exactly call that fine," Connie said. "I'm just going to have a look in your eyes." She grabbed the equipment that she needed and shone a bright light in her eyes. Lily squinted as Connie examined the back of her eyes thoroughly. "We're going to send you for a CT scan but I don't want you out of this bed."

"I can watch her," Rita offered and Connie nodded at her.

"Thank you," she thanked her. "Dylan. Can I have a word?" Dylan nodded and he and Connie left the room. "I'm pretty aware that she needs to work but I think it's a lot more than just stress."

"Fainting on the job, having a seizure," Dylan said blankly and shrugged his shoulders. "She'll be fine."

"She's been complaining of not being able to see properly," Connie informed him. "I'm sending her for a CT scan and then we'll just go from there."

"You've changed your tune," Dylan said.

"I have a duty of care to the doctor's at this hospital," she told him. "Not just the patients. We'll let Lily rest and then we'll run some tests on her." Dylan nodded, as Connie walked back into the room.

"You really worried us Darling," Rita was telling Lily. "Have you ever had a seizure before?"

"Rita," Connie warned and subtly shook her head at her. She then turned back to Lily. "Lily. Get some rest. We'll try you on something to eat in say a couple of hours and we'll get a CT scan done. For now, just rest up. You don't need to worry about a thing."

Lily nodded, secretly grateful. "Okay," she whispered. "Thanks."

Connie nodded and left, but not before mouthing at Rita to look after her.


	8. Bad News

**CasualtyFanForever81: Haha I do love Dylan but he is annoying and doesn't care for anyone. I did love it in the show though just before Lily fainted where he said "I'm sorry but am I the only doctor here?" And he looked really awkward when Lily fainted on him, like he had no idea what he was supposed to do. It made me laugh :) **

**Ella: Sorry I didn't reply to your review on Chapter 5. I had moderate reviews turned on and I forgot to moderate yours, sorry about that :P Anyway what has it got you wondering about? :) **

Chapter Eight: Bad News

Connie Beauchamp made her way into Lily's room and pulled the curtain across for some privacy. She'd managed something to eat and drink and she'd been sent for a CT scan so now, she was just sitting up in bed resting.

"Where's Rita?" Connie asked.

"She had to go and deal with a patient," Lily said. "I've just been flicking through some patient's notes, making notes myself. It beats sitting here doing nothing."

"You're not working," Connie ordered her sternly. "No way Lily. Not after earlier. I'm having to put my foot down."

"I thought your moto was unless you're dead or fired, then you have to be in work," Lily reminded her. "Sorry Mrs Beauchamp. I was just trying to make myself useful."

Connie sighed and sat down on the edge of Lily's bed in complete silence. None of them spoke for a while so it created an awkward silence and a tense atmosphere between them. Connie was the first one to speak.

"I um...I'm sorry Lily," she said, her voice a quiet whisper.

"What about?" Lily asked, confused.

"Well..." Connie sighed. "I haven't been overly nice to you. I have shouted at you for being ill and all I cared about is getting the work done. I never took you into consideration and I'm sorry about that. Especially when you clearly aren't well at the moment."

"I'll be okay," Lily reassured her. "It'll just be a bug."

"You're a doctor Lily," Connie said. "Surely you must know that seizures are never good signs."

"Yes but it was just a one time thing," Lily remarked. "That was the first time."

"Which is what worries me," Connie said. "And how can you explain the loss of vision?" Lily shrugged her shoulders. She was still struggling to see out of her left eye. "Charlie has sent your CT scan to the radiologist anyway so we should get your results soonish anyway. We'll see then. Could you do something for me though?"

"Sure," Lily agreed.

Connie stood up and grabbed the notepad and pen that sat at the side of the bed. She handed it over to Lily. "Just draw a circle for me." Lily looked up at her, confused but Connie seemed certain. She sighed heavily and drew a very wobbly, small circle. "Now write your name in that circle."

"Mrs Beauchamp. Why am I doing this?" She asked.

"Just do it," she said in a harsh tone.

Lily sighed but wrote her name. Her letters were wobbly and scribbly and they didn't all fit inside the circle. She managed a small, fake smile and handed the pad and pen back to Connie.

"Thank you," Connie said. "Everyone's worrying about you out there, you know?"

"Tell them that they really don't need to," Lily sighed.

"They just care," Connie whispered and glanced down at the floor. "And so do I. I may not act like I do but I am your boss at the end of the day and it is my job to make sure you and the others are okay."

Lily nodded, smiling happily.

"This doesn't mean that I'm going to start being nice to you though," Connie said quickly. "I'll be back in a moment," she added and left, taking the notepad with her.

"Is she feeling any better?" Rita asked, walking over with a hot mug of tea for Lily.

"Look at this and then you can ask me," Connie said and showed the pad to Rita.

"Is that Lily's writing?" Rita asked, her eyes widening in shock.

"Not her usual writing, that's for sure," Connie mentioned. "I don't know. After seeing Dixie's birthday card, I thought that I'd get her to write something and that's what happened."

"Right," Rita sighed. "Well, I'm sure the tea will help her."

"Is tea your answer for everything?" Connie questioned her.

"It works," Rita said proudly and shot Connie a small smile, before going in to give Lily her drink. "Hi Darling. How are you doing?" She asked sympathetically and handed over the drink.

"Better, thank you Rita," Lily answered. "Thanks for the tea."

"Don't mention it," Rita said. "It always helps me when I'm not feeling well."

* * *

Connie was just about to gather a staff meeting for an update on Lily, when Charlie stopped her. He had a serious look on his face and was carrying Lily's CT scan results.

"What's wrong?" Connie asked him.

"I um...I just got the results back on the CT scan," Charlie said, sighing and not wanting to continue.

"And?" Connie pushed him to tell her.

Charlie shook his head and passed them to her. "It shows swelling of the brain which as you know usually means a brain tumour. She's going to need an MRI scan."

**Guys I have a new story up. It's Lily and Ethan based and it's called 'Save Me From Myself.' Check it out if you want to. I'd really appreciate it. I don't have many reviews on it just yet so it would make me happy :)**


	9. Ethan's Struggles

**m-is-for-MollyMansfieldMealing: I know :(**

**ETWentHome: I love writing cliffhangers. I also love the softer side of Connie :)**

**CasualtyFanForever81: Thank you and thanks for checking out my other fic :)**

**casualtyzax: Thanks so much :)**

**theverystuffoflife: She will be, bless her :(**

**Ella: Haha I always research my symptoms too and then panic when I read the worst. My medical knowledge is also bad so my research is watching Casualty episodes and Google. Do you have an account on here at all? Or an email address? Maybe we could chat sometime and I could share some fanfic ideas I've had with you. Let me know :)**

Chapter Nine: Ethan's Struggles

Cal walked into the staffroom to see Ethan leaning on the counter, taking deep breaths. He quietly shut the door and stood with his arms folded across his chest, hoping that Ethan would speak first. He didn't.

"What's wrong?" Cal questioned him.

"What do you think?" Ethan snapped, turning round to face his brother.

"It might not be a tumour," Cal tried to reassure him. "The CT scan just showed swelling of the brain. The MRI scan will tell us whether Lily has a tumour and she's having one of those as we speak. She may be okay Ethan."

"You don't know that," Ethan hissed at him, clenching his teeth together and running a hand through his hair.

"Okay. Let's say she does have a tumour," Cal sighed. "It still might not be cancerous. I won't lie to you. Tumours do cause loss of eyesight and hearing but you are not going to lose Lily. Okay?"

"I think I really like her Cal," Ethan told him truthfully.

"You don't think I haven't noticed that?" Cal chuckled. "To be honest, I think the entire hospital has noticed that." The door to the staffroom opened and Connie walked in. "Mrs Beauchamp," Cal greeted her, the second she entered.

"Sorry to break up this little family intervention," Connie said and turned towards Ethan. "Ethan. Can I have a word?" Ethan nodded and followed Connie out, shooting his brother a nervous look. They headed straight to her office and Connie shut the door. "Ethan. You seem completely out of it today. You are meant to be at work."

"I know," Ethan whispered and fiddled with his glasses. "I know. I'm sorry." There was a long, awkward pause. "How's Lily doing?"

Connie glanced up at him from her desk. "We've given her an MRI scan so we'll just go from there. It doesn't look good though." She sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "Is this what this is about?" She asked.

Ethan shrugged his shoulders shyly. "I just wanted to see how she was, that's all."

"Ethan, we are all worried about Lily," Connie pointed out to him. "But at the end of the day, we are doctor's and there are people who need our help so we need to get on with the work. Don't you think? The only people who I am letting off shift are Robyn and Rita so they can sit with Lily but that is all. I don't want to make a habit of it."

"Will it get treated?" Ethan asked. "If it is a tumour that is."

"Of course," Connie said. "But there is a chance that she may have permanent loss of vision and hearing."

Ethan had to stop himself from walking out. He just hung his head and nodded.

"I'm just telling you the truth here Ethan," Connie said. "Lily has been saying how she can hardly see out of her left eye and being a doctor, you should know that tumours can cause damage to your vision and hearing."

"I know," Ethan sighed. "It's just hard when it's going on with one of our doctors. You know? It shouldn't be happening, especially not to Lily." Connie nodded, having to agree with him. "When will we know the results of the MRI?"

"As soon as possible," Connie replied. "Charlie is onto that. For now Ethan, I just suggest you try to forget about Lily and get back to your job."

"Can't I treat her?"

Connie shook her head. "No!" She shouted. "No. Absolutely not. Rita and Robyn are looking after her. You're already in a state, you'll just make yourself worst."

"Can I at least speak to her briefly?"

Connie sighed and nodded faintly. "Five minutes."

* * *

Lily was just getting out of bed, when Ethan entered her room. He smiled and pulled the curtain across.

"What are you doing?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

"Going to the bathroom," she answered. "And then a walk. I am sick and tired of sitting in a hospital bed all day when I should actually be working."

"Well, shall I come with you?" Ethan offered.

"I am quite capable of going by myself," Lily said. "Thank you though. Shouldn't you be working?"

"Mrs Beauchamp said that I could come and speak to you for a bit," he said. "I was worried about you."

"I'm fine," Lily said and patted his cheek. "Just help me stand up because I can't see much at all right now." Ethan nodded solemnly and helped Lily stand up. "Thanks. I won't be long."

"Sure you're okay?" He asked.

"I'm sure." She nodded at him and walked out. She bumped into Robyn on the way.

"Good to see you up and about," she said with a cheerful smile. "Can I get you anything?"

"No thank you," Lily answered her.

"How's your vision?" Robyn asked and held up three fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three," Lily giggled. "I am not totally blind."

"Just checking," she said and rubbed her arm. "Well, don't walk around for too much. Okay? You should be resting."

"I just needed to give my face a wash and get a bit of fresh air," Lily said. "I won't be long. Besides, I have Ethan waiting for me in my room."

"Bless him," Robyn said. "Well, give us a call if you need anything."

"Will do," Lily said with a smile. "Oh, and Robyn?"

"Yeah?" Robyn asked, before walking away.

"Thank you," Lily thanked her.

Robyn smiled back at her. "You're welcome."


	10. The Tumour

**Ella: Haha certainly not the only one. I get a slight headache and I'm straight on my laptop, self diagnosing myself. Thanks for giving me your actual account, I understand you have school and stuff but it'll be lovely to talk to you :) **

**CBloom2: Yeah I love Ethan and whoa no! I hate to give spoilers but it won't be a death fic. I can't write death stories because I get so sad and I certainly will not be able to kill Lily off haha :)**

**CasualtyFanForever81: Aww I was glad to update because I'd had a crap day at work. Your college placement sounds good so congratulations on that. I will do that thank you, I bet they're really good :)**

**Blue Skies And Ink: Hellooooo! Thanks for your account :) I have already sent you a message haha so reply when you can. Have a nice day yourself and enjoy the update :)**

**Jinxy13112: Thank you for your helpful review. I sent you a PM, asking a couple of questions :) **

Chapter Ten: The Tumour

Connie pulled the curtain across to reveal an empty bed. She sighed heavily, rolled her eyes and pursed her lips together before shutting it and walking over to the receptionist desk. Ethan was stood at it, looking through a folder of patient's notes.

"Where's Lily?" She asked him. "You're bound to know."

Ethan shrugged. "I don't know, sorry. Bathroom?"

"Well if you see her, tell her that I am looking for her," Connie said sternly and stormed off. She was about to check the bathroom when she saw Lily in the waiting area, talking to Max and Robyn. "What's going on over here?" She asked, making her way over.

"Well, we're on our break now," Robyn said. "And Lily just wanted a bit of company."

"Mrs Beauchamp. Has Charlie got my MRI results yet?" Lily asked, desperate for an answer.

Connie hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I'll talk to you about it in a second. What are you doing out of bed? You would have gone mad if this was one of your patients Lily. Back to your room."

"She just wanted a bit of a break," Robyn spoke up for Lily. "She's been cooped up in that room all day."

"Lily. Charlie and I want to talk to you," Connie told her but Lily didn't seem to hear her. "Lily?"

"Sorry," she apologised and shook her head. "What did you say?"

"Charlie and I want a word," Connie said, a bit louder. "Now please." Lily faintly nodded and stood up, going back to her room with Connie.

"It's about the MRI scan. Right?" She asked, just as Charlie entered the room. "Is it bad news?"

"Lily," Charlie sighed. "I am afraid that the results have indeed shown a tumour on the brain." Lily just nodded faintly. "Now there is some good news and some bad news."

"Just give me the bad news," Lily sighed heavily, feeling sick to the pit of her stomach.

"The bad news is that it will cause some permanent damage," Connie put in. "The tumour is mainly affecting the occipital lobe which will explain the loss of vision in one eye. However, the tumour isn't cancerous and can be removed with surgery."

"We caught it early," Charlie said. "Luckily, it is just a grade one. We can surgically remove it and Connie and I have talked and we suggest Radiosurgery would be the best way to go about it. We can remove it without damaging the surrounding tissue and the recovery is quick so an overnight stay won't be required."

Lily nodded, attempting to put on a brave face. "Okay," she whispered. "Thank you."

"We'll give you some time to get your head around it," Connie said. "But we'd like to do the surgery as soon as possible, so the tumour doesn't spread anymore. All right?"

"Yeah," Lily said quietly. "What about my job?"

"Lily," Charlie sighed. "You're sick right now. Don't go thinking of work, please."

"It was a genuine question," Lily said sternly. "If I'm sick, having treatment and unable to see or hear properly then will I still be allowed a job here?"

"We've already said that it's a grade one tumour and the treatment is quick and simple," Charlie reminded her. "If there was anything to worry about Lily, I'd tell you. I promise."

"Look. You've just been diagnosed with a brain tumour," Connie said. "You're bound to be in shock. Do you want me to get Robyn or anyone?"

"I'd rather be alone," Lily said.

Connie nodded and gestured for Charlie to follow her before walking out. "She has a point," she whispered to him. "About the job?"

"We can't let her go just because she's half blind," Charlie sighed. "It wouldn't be fair."

"How is she going to be able to treat patients when she can barely see? She's going through a massive shock as well here Charlie." Connie pointed out. "I know it's not fair. I am not blaming her but..." Connie began to choke up and ran her hands down her face.

"Take a break," Charlie told her. "That's an order. You've not had one since Lily's episode and I think you're in need. Go and sit down, grab a coffee and just relax. I'll take care of things here and I'll let the staff know, just so they are aware."

Connie thanked him and headed off to the staffroom. Dylan was in there, grabbing a coffee. "Get out," Connie said to him, receiving a confused look. "Charlie said I could take a break and I'd rather be on my own."

"Whatever," he scoffed and had a sip of his coffee. Connie opened the door to let him out and then shut it again as soon as he'd left. She leant back against the door shaking, tears streaming down her face. Sinking to the floor, she just broke down.

* * *

"Okay everyone, gather round!" Charlie called, gathering up the staff. "I have an important announcement. As you all know, Lily hasn't been well lately. We have been monitoring her and we have taken tests and the tests have shown a tumour on the brain."

Ethan hung his head and Cal reached across to offer his support, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly.

"It's a grade one tumour so it isn't cancerous but Lily will need to undergo surgery to have it removed before it spreads and gets worst," Charlie continued. "The surgery is a scary process and there will be permanent damage afterwards caused by the tumour so Lily is going to need our full support. Does everyone understand?" They all nodded, some of them trying their hardest not to break down crying. "Now, there will be no shame if any of you want to sit out treating Lily. I know she's been having help from Rita and Robyn and myself, Dylan and Connie have been helping too. If anyone feels uncomfortable, just let us know. There's no shame in feeling like that."

"You okay?" Cal whispered, nudging his brother.

Ethan faintly nodded. "I will be. Just hard to get my head around."

"You heard Charlie," Cal whispered again. "Lily's going to be okay. There'll be some damage but it isn't cancerous and can be easily removed. She's going to be just fine." Ethan sighed and nodded. "I know you're scared and upset, but think about how Lily must be feeling. She's going to be terrified, scared, sad and she's going to need us more than anything."

"You're right," Ethan said. "Cover for me, yeah? I have something to do."

"What's that?" Cal asked, intrigued.

"I have to get my laptop out," Ethan asked. "So I can order Lily a bouquet of get well flowers." He winked at his brother and headed off, receiving a small smile and a shake of the head from Cal.

**Okay so I am going to be honest that there are going to probably be some medical mistakes in this chapter. I am not a doctor, haha. This has taken me so long to write because I have been switching constantly from Fanfiction to Google to do my research. I know that blindness and deafness are a cause from the tumour (my friend is half blind and half deaf from a brain tumour), but I'm not overly sure what else could be caused from it. Those are the main ones.**

**So yeah, I do apologise that this chapter isn't 100% correct. I did my research and tried my best with it and I felt quite proud with how it turned out. I hope it was okay for you guys. **

**Thanks for reading and I'll update as soon as possible :) **


	11. Lily's Parents

**CasualtyFanForever81: Thanks so much, that really did help me. I'll look those up when I get the chance. Glad you liked the chapter :)**

**theverystuffoflife: Thank you. I was scared that I wasn't staying in character because I'm not used to writing fanfics for Casualty haha. I love Ethan, he's being so lovely :) **

Chapter Eleven: Lily's Parents

"Connie!" Robyn yelled and rushed into the staffroom. "Lily's fitting!" She told her. Connie looked up from sitting on the sofa with her head in her hands and nodded at her. Robyn nodded back and left. With a heavy sigh, Connie stood up and made her way to Lily's room. Rita and Cal were both in there, trying to calm her.

"She okay?" Connie asked, walking in.

"She just started fitting again," Cal sighed, as Rita stroked Lily's hair and talked soothingly to her.

"Okay." Connie nodded and edged closer to the bed, shoving Cal to one side. "Okay Lily. Lily, sweetheart. You're okay. It's okay."

Cal bit his lip and him and Rita exchanged glances, both thinking the exact same thing. It was weird, hearing Connie being nice and giving the staff sweet nicknames.

"These seizures won't stop, right?" Cal asked worryingly. "I mean, she'll still be having them after treatment."

"Most likely," Connie sighed as she still tried to calm Lily down. "Come on Lily. You're doing really well. Come on."

* * *

Louise was stood at the reception desk, tapping away on her computer. A man and a woman soon walked up to her, linking arms. Louise held a hand up and finished what she was doing before dealing with them.

"How can I help you today?" She asked.

"Jane and Oliver Chao," the woman said. "Lily's parents. I'm so sorry. We've been away on a business trip, we've only just received the message. Are we able to see her?"

"You're Lily's parents!" Noel said as he walked over, biting into a biscuit. "She's a hard working doctor around here."

"Thank you Noel," Louise sighed sarcastically and picked up the phone. "Let me just buzz through to Mrs Beauchamp and I'll check for you."

"Thank you," Jane thanked the receptionist.

Louise nodded with a smile and buzzed through to Connie. "I have Lily's parents here," Louise spoke into the phone to her. "Are they okay to see her? Yep. Yep. Okay." She hung up the phone and looked towards the couple. "You may see her. Take a seat and Mrs Beauchamp will be through in a bit to take you in."

They nodded and took the nearest seats in the waiting area.

"Mr and Mrs Chao," Connie called as she came into the waiting room. Jane and Oliver stood up and shook hands with her. "I'm so glad you finally got my messages. Lily's fine. We are going to surgically remove the tumour, it isn't cancerous so that's a good sign. A couple of things to be aware of though after treatment is the loss of eyesight and hearing and seizures may also occur. She had a bit of one earlier but we've calmed her down, she's had a sleep and is feeling a bit brighter."

"So, she's going to be okay?" Oliver asked.

Connie nodded. "She'll be fine. She's feeling a bit tired right now but you can come on through."

"When is the tumour going to be removed?" Jane asked straight away.

"We are discussing that, myself and the other doctors," Connie said. "We have agreed to do it as soon as, to stop the tumour from spreading. Once the surgery has been done, recovery will be quick and Lily won't need to stay overnight hopefully. We do suggest that she doesn't work in a while though and that someone is there to look after her in case of any problems. I mean the seizures are the most scary part and our only concern is what happens if Lily's alone and ends up having one."

Jane and Oliver nodded, Jane gripping her husband's arm tightly. Connie gestured for them to follow her and took them both into Lily's room. Rita was sat on a chair, talking to Lily to try and distract her.

"Mum, Dad," Lily said in surprise and sat upright in bed, as they both hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"Doctor Knight and I have been contacting them," Connie informed Lily. "They're your parents Lily. They needed to know, didn't they?"

"Thank you for coming," Lily thanked her parents.

"How are you feeling?" Jane asked her.

"Tired," Lily whispered. "I um...Can't see too well."

"That'll be from the tumour," Oliver said, rubbing at her leg.

"I know," Lily managed a giggle. "I'm a doctor, remember? I'm just still trying to get my head round it. It's hard."

"i know," Jane sighed. "Your father and I have never really told you this but we are proud of you, you know?"

Lily managed a small smile at them. "Really?" She asked.

"Of course," Oliver said. "You're our daughter. We love you."

"Um...Connie and I will give you some time alone with your parents Lily," Rita said and stood up from her chair. "Will you be okay?" Lily nodded thankfully at her. "Let us know if you need anything," Rita said before leaving with Connie. "You called her parents?" Rita asked when they were outside.

"Cal and I have been trying for a while," Connie said. "I'm glad they came. Lily may be a woman but at the end of the day they're her parents and she needs them here. She's going through a lot right now."

"I'm not used to seeing this side of you," Rita joked.

Connie crossed her arms and laughed at her. "Yeah," she said. "Don't get used to it."

**Quite a short chapter but just a chapter to introduce Lily's parents. I don't know what they're called so I made up names. Jane and Oliver fitted somehow, haha. Hope you liked it guys :)**


	12. Surgery

**ETWentHome: Yeah all I knew was that they bragged about their doctor daughter but didn't tell Lily they were proud of her much. I only knew that by reading it on the Casualty website haha. Thanks for your review :)**

**CasualtyFanForever81: No they haven't, so I just made them up haha :)**

**theverystuffoflife: She is very secretive. I'm so glad you think I have Cal spot on because I'm never sure. I find him quite hard to write haha. I love Cal though. Yeah, my friend has a brain tumour so I know the symptoms and how it must be but it is still extremely to write about. I knew some stuff from her but did do a lot of research about the treatment on Google :)**

Chapter Twelve: Surgery

The day of Lily's surgery soon came round. She was sat up in bed in her hospital room, trying to put on a brave face. She was alone but it wasn't long until Connie and Dylan walked in, chatting amongst themselves.

"How are you doing?" Connie asked Lily.

Lily just nodded. "Fine," she whispered and wiped away a tear that had somehow escaped from one of her eyes.

"Well, there's no need to cry," Dylan said with a serious tone. "This surgery is going to help you Lily. It won't exactly kill you now, will it?"

"Dylan," Connie warned him. "Now's not the time. Lily. I promise you it'll be okay. The surgery will be quick and it will remove the tumour. We're going to put you to sleep but you have nothing to worry about."

"Exactly," Dylan put in. "You put people to sleep all the time Lily, as part of your job."

"It's different when it's happening to me though," Lily pointed out to him. "Isn't it?" Dylan just went silent. Lily sighed and looked at Connie. "Will Ethan be here when I wake up?"

"We can certainly arrange that," Connie said, managing a small smile. "You'll be fine. I promise you."

* * *

"I can't believe Lily's having her surgery today," Robyn said as she and Max walked to work together. "I bet she's well scared, bless her. I bought her this huge card that I thought we could all sign and give to her."

"She won't be able to read it very well though, will she?" Max pointed out.

"Max," Robyn hissed and nudged his arm. "Don't. That's well mean. It'll be nice. She's going to be absolutely terrified."

"Yeah," Max laughed. "It's a good idea." They arrived at work and saw Ethan sitting on a bench outside the hospital, wrapped up warm and shivering because of the cold.

"Hey Ethan. You okay?" Robyn asked him kindly.

Ethan shook his head. "I don't want to work today," he said, and Max took a seat next to him. "Not while Lily's in there having surgery. I can't."

"Hey, you don't have to treat Lily," Max said. "Mrs Beauchamp said that she wanted as much help as possible but if anyone wants to sit it out, they can do. Just deal with any other patients who come in. No one will judge you for it."

"Max is right," Robyn said. "And I'll probably be helping out with her. I can give you updates, let you know how she's doing if you want."

"Thanks," Ethan thanked her.

"Come on," Robyn encouraged and held out her hand to him. "Let's go in there and get our shift started. Yeah?" Ethan hesitated but nodded with a smile. He stood up and followed Max and Robyn into the ED.

"Robyn!" Connie called to her, as soon as they walked in. "I need you to grab a couple of things for me." Robyn nodded. "Doctor Hardy. Are you okay?" Connie asked, as she wrote down a list for Robyn.

"Take it mate," Max whispered subtly in Ethan's ear. "She very rarely asks us that question."

Ethan ignored Max but nodded at Connie. "Yes Mrs Beauchamp. Um...I'm okay, thank you."

"Good." Connie smiled at him, handed the list to Robyn and headed off back to Lily's room.

"I better put my stuff down and go and help," Robyn said. "Here if you need a chat Ethan," she offered and walked off to start her shift.

"Just try not to think about it mate," Max said and patted Ethan on the shoulder, before walking away himself.

* * *

Ethan tried not to think about Lily. He focused on patients being brought into the ED and distracted himself by chatting to Cal and Max every now and then. Charlie had even brought cakes in for the staff, knowing that everyone would be worrying about Lily.

"Are these cupcakes homemade Charlie?" Robyn asked, biting into one. She was on her break and had just been hanging out with Max and Lofty.

Charlie chuckled and shook his head. "Don't push it Robyn. They were store bought I'm afraid."

Connie then walked out and everyone was automatically quiet, continuing to munch on their cake.

"How is she?" Charlie asked.

"Well, the surgery has been completed," Connie informed them all.

"Really?" Ethan perked up, going over. "Is she okay? Can I see her?"

"She's still asleep," Connie informed him. "But come on through." Ethan nodded and he and Connie headed back to Lily's room. Dylan and Rita were in there and Lily was just starting to wake up.

"Ethan wanted to see her," Connie whispered.

Ethan smiled and moved towards Lily's room, sitting on the edge of the bed carefully and stroking Lily's hair. Lily opened her eyes slightly and rolled over onto her back, wincing. Her eyes diverted upwards towards Ethan and she smiled, whispering a small hi at him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"Tired," she murmured and sat up a bit. "I feel sick."

Rita immediately grabbed a bucket and held it out in front of Lily as she began to puke into it. "You okay?" Rita asked, rubbing small circles up and down her back. "It'll stop soon. It's natural Sweetheart. I promise." Lily nodded and coughed as Rita put the bucket down and gave her mouth a wipe. "You're okay."

"God," Lily groaned and rubbed at her head. "I feel really confused. I don't know where I am."

"You're in hospital," Ethan reminded her. "Holby City."

"You've just had surgery Lily," Connie said. "You're bound to feel a bit confused."

"Just um...Try to take it easy," Dylan said, feeling awkward. "For the time being."

"I think we should probably give them a moment alone," Connie suggested, gesturing towards Ethan and Lily.

Rita nodded in agreement. "Are you going to be okay Lily?" She nodded at Rita thankfully. "We'll be back later to check on you." She rubbed her arm comfortingly and left, alongside Dylan and Connie.

"Um...I have something for you," Ethan said to Lily nervously. "Is it okay if I go and get it?"

"Hurry back," Lily whispered. "I don't particularly want to be alone."

"I won't be long," Ethan promised her and gave her a quick hug, as he rushed out of the room. He wasn't long at all, arriving back within two minutes with a card and a bouquet of flowers.

"What's this?" Lily giggled, noticing the flowers out of her good eye.

"For you," Ethan said and placed the flowers in her lap. "Oh and everyone signed this card for you. I can read out some of the messages if you struggle."

"Thank you," she whispered, opening up the card and smiling.

"How do you feel?" Ethan asked her.

"Slightly fed up," Lily answered truthfully. "I mean, I know the tumour has now been removed so I should be happy. I'm blind in one eye though, I can't hear overly well and...Mrs Beauchamp said that the seizures would still continue."

"You have our support," Ethan comforted her and kissed her on the cheek. Lily smiled and turned her head towards him so their faces were touching. Ethan smiled back and caressed her cheek, pressing his lips against hers and kissing her lovingly. "I love you," he whispered, before kissing her again.

"Yeah," Lily laughed shyly. "You're not so bad yourself Doctor Hardy."


	13. Back to Reality

**CasualtyFanForever81: Haha aww thank you. I'm glad it was worth it. I did yes! I am so excited for it. Connie looks proper scary in the trailer and I'm so terrified she'll be leaving. I hope not. I really really hope not! :)**

**ETWentHome: Haha thank you, I'm glad you liked it :)**

**CBloom2: Ethan is adorable. I am one of those writers unfortunately. All of my stories are about my favourite characters but something bad always happens to them. I don't think I have anything else horrible in mind right now though for this story, the rest I think will just be quite cute :)**

Chapter Thirteen: Back to Reality

"So are the rumours true then?" Connie asked, walking into Lily's room to check on her.

"About what?" Lily questioned her.

"Is hospital food really that awful?"

Lily laughed and shook her head. "It's not as bad as people make it out to be," she said. "It's okay I guess."

"I um...I wanted to talk to you about your job," Connie said, standing in front of Lily's bed and folding her arms across her chest. "Charlie and I were talking and suggested that you work fewer hours than you are at the moment."

"Fewer hours?" Lily asked.

"You have to understand that you are not well, Lily," Connie said, as if she needed reminding. "And your eyesight is going to cause a big problem here. We want you to carry on working if you feel comfortable because you are a good doctor and it won't be fair to let you go. As long as you're okay with it, you can stay but we don't want you to overwork yourself and there will be certain procedures that you won't be able to do."

"I want to continue working here Mrs Beauchamp," Lily said clearly.

"I know." Connie nodded at her head. "But take some time off until you're fully recovered and then we can sort out what hours you are going to work. Does that sound okay?"

Lily nodded in agreement. "Yes," she said. "That sounds fine."

"Good." Connie smiled at her and went to go back to work. "Oh and Lily? Try to get some sleep for me." Lily smiled and nodded, as Connie headed off.

* * *

Lily recovered pretty quickly. The doctor's made sure she was off for enough time, just to double check if she was okay. Lily's parents stayed with her during recovery and Ethan and the other staff popped round to check on her as often as she could. It was soon time for Lily to return back to work though and Ethan went to pick her up.

"You okay?" He asked her as they drove to work in his car.

Lily nodded faintly. "Fine," she whispered.

Ethan eyed up the white stick on the back seat. "What's that for?" He asked. "Sorry," he then apologised. "It was probably a stupid question."

"It wasn't." Lily shook her head. "It's my cane, so I can find myself around. I don't need one because I can see perfectly fine out of one eye but it was recommended for me. I'll probably just leave it in the car during work."

"Well, I care for you Lily," he laughed. "And for your own safety, you will be using the cane. Are you sure you're okay?"

"What?" She asked, not hearing him properly.

"Are you okay?" He asked a bit louder, but not too loud. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm just a bit nervous to be back," Lily admitted. "I hate to say it but what if I have a seizure, what if I can't see what I'm doing properly, what if...?"

"Those are all just what ifs," he interrupted her. "And you'll have our full support. We won't let you do anything on your own or anything you're not comfortable with. Connie may be a wicked witch but she's actually been good to you and I'm sure she'll make sure you're all right today."

They arrived at the ED and saw Max, Lofty and Robyn all standing outside. As Ethan helped Lily out the car, Robyn immediately hurried over and gave her a hug, startling her a little bit.

"Sorry," Robyn apologised and pulled away quickly, suddenly feeling awkward.

"It's okay," Lily reassured her. "I just didn't see you, that's all."

"Don't crowd her guys," Ethan said. "First day back and all." Ethan handed Lily's cane over to her and took her inside. "Are you okay to change on your own, or do you want some help?"

"I'll be fine," Lily assured him and gave him a kiss before heading off to change into her scrubs. She was in the middle of changing, struggling with her top when Connie walked in.

"I've been looking for you," he said. "Ethan said you were in here." She noticed Lily struggling with her top and walked over, awkwardly helping her into it. "Am I able to talk to you before we start work?"

Lily nodded, thanking her. "Sure," she agreed.

Connie took Lily to her office so that they could talk in private. She wanted to talk to her about the hours she'd be doing and the procedures that she was unable to do. Lily listened carefully, butting in when there was something she didn't hear properly.

"So, we'll keep you on short hours for now," Connie said. "And you'll be able to diagnose patients, check them out, fix them up, just the general stuff. We won't be allowing you to do actual surgery though. Okay?"

"Sure," Lily said. "Am I able to come on the training next week?"

There was a training course at another hospital the following week, something Connie had completely forgotten about. Most of the doctor's were going to it, including Lily.

"We'll talk about it," Connie said. "But it should be okay. Um...Before you go, you'll be working alongside Rita today."

"Okay."

Rita helped Lily out and made sure that she was okay, whilst they were dealing with the patient. The patient knew about Lily's condition after overhearing the conversation but he was understandable about it. Rita did most of the work and Lily helped as much as she could. Halfway through, Connie walked in just to check if everything was okay.

"You okay?" She asked Lily. Lily nodded. "Sure?"

"I'm fine," she said.

"She's doing really well actually," Rita said, praising Lily. "You should be proud of her Connie."

"Everyone should be," Connie said. "Let me know if there are any problems. I doubt there will be though." Rita smiled and Connie left the cubicle.

"She's right, you know?" Rita said to Lily. "You're doing brilliantly."

"Thanks," Lily said with a laugh. "But I wouldn't go that far. Come on. Let's just finish off."


	14. Road Trip

**CasualtyFanForever: Thank you! You were like the only person who reviewed this chapter haha, feel special :)**

Chapter Fourteen: Road Trip

It was the day of the training and only four of the doctor's were going. Ethan took the front seat with Connie and drove, whilst Lily and Rita sat in the back. Lily was in the middle of looking over the map as they took a wrong turn for the third time that morning.

"Ethan. Do you have any idea where you are going?" Connie spoke harshly.

"No," he sighed. "Hence why Lily has a map. I did let everyone know that I was unsure of the route before we set off this morning."

"Are you okay with that?" Rita asked Lily, noticing that she was squinting. "Let me help if you're struggling to read it."

"I am okay," Lily said, clearly lying.

"Lily," Connie called over her shoulder, without looking up from sending a text. She received no answer. "Lily!" She shouted in a much louder voice. Rita nudged Lily's arm to let her know that Connie wanted her.

She looked up from the map. "What?"

"Hand the map to Rita please," Connie ordered. Lily sighed and rolled her eyes, reluctantly handing the map over to Rita. "Thank you."

"Can you not shout?" Ethan snapped, after almost hitting a lamp-post. "A, it's not Lily's fault and B, you could have just killed us all."

"Well, you have a bit of a mouth on you today Ethan," Connie pointed out. "I suggest you stay quiet for the rest of the journey, unless you want to end up with a disciplinary when we get back to the ED."

"I'll be quiet," Ethan whispered, but quickly glanced over his shoulder to check if Lily was okay.

"This map really is confusing," Rita said, as she scanned it over. "I can see why you struggled Lily."

"You really don't have to lie to make me feel better," Lily said, squeezing her eyes shut. "God. I have a headache."

"Should we panic?" Ethan said quietly to Connie through gritted teeth, so that Lily couldn't hear them. "I mean...Isn't that usually how her seizures start?"

"Lily," Connie said calmly and glanced over her shoulder briefly to speak to the junior doctor. "Just relax for me, okay? Don't stress." Lily faintly nodded, giving her a small smile. "She should be okay," Connie then whispered to Ethan, turning back round in her seat.

"I feel sick," Lily suddenly complained, clutching her stomach.

"Um...Should I pull over?" Ethan asked. Lily was sitting directly behind him and he didn't particularly want puke on his shoulder.

"Pull over Ethan," Connie told him anyway. Ethan nodded and pulled into the nearest lay-by. As soon as the car stopped, Lily pushed open her door and climbed out. She didn't even look for oncoming cars and just rushed round to throw up into the bushes. "Oh charming," Connie said sarcastically.

"I'll help her," Rita offered and climbed out of the car after Lily. "Lily!" She called and walked over, rubbing her back. "You okay Darling?"

Lily nodded and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm fine," she groaned. "It...It must have been travel sickness, with trying to read the map and all."

"Are you sure?" Rita questioned. "I mean, we can turn round and drop you off back at work or home if you like."

"No, I don't need to go back. I'm fine," Lily insisted. "Honestly, it was just travel sickness."

"Well, no more reading," Rita said. "You have to look after yourself Lily. You're still sick and you only have half of your eyesight. You need to remember that, so let me read the map for Ethan. Okay?"

Lily nodded, smiling thankfully at Rita. "Sure," she said. "Thanks Rita."

"Come on." Rita took hold of Lily's hand and helped her climb into the backseat of the car.

"Are you okay Lily?" Ethan asked.

Lily read his lips and nodded with a smile. "I am now. Thanks for stopping."

"No worries," Connie sighed. "We're just going to be even later now, but that doesn't matter I suppose."

"For goodness sake Connie," Rita spat. "She's just thrown up. Have a little bit of sympathy."

"Sorry," Connie sighed, remembering that Lily couldn't exactly help it. "Let's just get back on the road and to this training. No more stopping. Okay?" All three of them nodded, as Ethan started up the engine again before indicating and driving out of the lay-by.

"You sure you're okay?" Rita asked Lily, giving her leg a rub.

"Yeah," Lily sighed and rested her head on Rita's shoulder. "I'm fine."

**Hi guys. Sorry that this chapter was ridiculously short. It's just a bit of a filler chapter because I haven't updated in ages and felt I had to. Not really sure what to write next so it may be a while until I update again, sorry :)**


	15. Training Goes Wrong

**CasualtyFanForever81: Good idea :)**

**ETWentHome: Yeah, bless her. Ethan will be there for her though :)**

**CBloom2: I'm not unfortunately. I was going to but because this is obviously written after Lily's fainting storyline a couple of episodes back, the crash had already happened. I didn't think it's fit haha :)**

**Tanith Panic: Thank you :)**

Chapter Fifteen: Training Goes Wrong

Lily was still feeling unwell when they arrived at the training course. She refused to tell anyone though. She leant against the side of the van with her cane and started to take some deep breaths, hoping that her headache and sickness would eventually disappear.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Still not well?"

"I'm fine," Lily lied, rubbing at her head with her hands. As soon as she said that though, her eyes rolled back and she fell to the floor, starting to fit.

"Lily!" Ethan shouted and rushed to her side. "Lily! It's Ethan, can you hear me?" He bit his lip nervously and turned his head, shouting for Rita to come over. "Rita!" He called, praying that she'd hear him. She did. "Rita!"

"What happened?" She asked, running over.

"She's having a seizure," Ethan said, choking up a little bit. "I...I don't know what to do."

"Come on Ethan. You're a doctor," Rita encouraged.

"But this is Lily we're talking about!" Ethan yelled at her.

"Exactly!" Rita yelled back and then sighed, turning her attention back to Lily. "We need to get her back to the ED." Ethan nodded and Rita continued to talk to Lily. "Come on Darling. It's okay. Just listen to my voice."

"It's okay Lily," Ethan comforted and began to rub her back. "You're okay."

* * *

"So what happened then?" Connie asked Rita, the two of them walking down the corridor to the staffroom. Lily was in there lying on the sofa, with Ethan by her side. "We should have just turned round when we had the chance."

"She said that she was okay," Rita whispered. "I wasn't there but Ethan was talking to her and apparently she just fell and started fitting."

"Right." Connie nodded and turned the handle of the staffroom door. She and Rita walked in and saw Lily lying down, with Ethan sitting at her side making sure that she was okay. "How's she doing?" She asked Ethan.

"She's okay," Ethan said. "Bit confused and tired but she's okay."

"It was her first seizure since the operation," Connie stated.

Ethan nodded. "Yeah. I um...I think part of me was hoping that she wouldn't have anymore, now that the tumour's gone."

"I think we were all hoping that Ethan," Connie said. "Lily?" Lily managed to glance up at her out of the corner of her eye. "When you're feeling better, come and see me. We can go for a walk." She turned to Rita and then said, "look after her...and Ethan." Rita nodded and Connie headed back to work.

"I'm so sorry," Lily apologised in a quiet, croaky voice.

"Now, what are you sorry for?" Rita asked and knelt down in front of the sofa, taking hold of her hand.

"I ruined the training thing for everyone," Lily said. "I'm sorry."

"You're more important," Ethan told her. "The training has been rescheduled. Don't worry about it." Lily managed a small smile and nodded at him. "You know, we may be going out and we may have said I love you to each other but I don't think I've formally asked you to be my actual girlfriend."

"And?" Lily giggled. She was pretty sure that she knew where this was going.

"Well, will you?" Ethan asked. "Be my girlfriend, I mean?"

Lily nodded, grabbing his hand and kissing it. "Of course," she answered. "Course I will."

"I was really scared that you'd say no," Ethan chuckled, resting his head against her arm. "Thanks."

"Why would I say no?" She asked, leaning up and kissing him.

Rita just watched them, smiling as the two of them shared a passionate kiss.

Lily met up with Connie for a walk later on when she was feeling better. Ethan was nervous about leaving her but both Connie and Rita insisted that she'd be okay. Connie and Lily walked out of the front of the hospital and sat down on the bench out there.

"Feeling better now then?" Connie asked, handing a coffee over to Lily before taking a sip of her own.

Lily nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Thanks to Ethan. He really knows how to work his magic. No wonder he's a doctor."

"He only works his magic when it comes to you," Connie laughed.

"I am sorry about the training by the way," Lily apologised again.

"Don't apologise Lily," Connie sighed. "It isn't your fault and people understand that."

"I wish I was normal," Lily whispered. It was meant to be said in her head and she didn't quite realise that she'd said it out loud in front of Connie. "Sorry," she added in a quiet voice, suddenly feeling embarrassed and awkward.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Connie asked her.

"I just...My life's never going to be the same again," Lily confessed quietly. "All because of that stupid tumour. I hate it. I hate myself and I hate everyone around me because it never happened to them. It happened to me!"

"Lily..."

"No!" She shouted and stood up from the bench. "I'm terrified. I don't feel comfortable going anywhere new because I only have half an eyesight, I feel bad when I don't hear someone first time and I am scared stiff because I never know when a seizure is going to come on. I don't even like being left alone. I just hate my life and I'm sorry you have to hear it but it's true."

And with that, Lily turned and made her way back into the ED without another word.


	16. Support Group

**ETWentHome: Haha, love Lily and Ethan cuteness! I'm sure they'll be able to :)**

**Tanith Panic: Oh my god! I am so jealous of you, I'd love to meet her. Her and Amanda Mealing as well :) **

**CasualtyFanForever81: Thank you :)**

**niamhmcshane22: Thanks, glad you like it :) **

**Re-reading my stories and realised how much I love to torture my favourite characters. Haha. Not really, I just love to write drama and angst and of course I'm going to write about my favourites :) **

Chapter Sixteen: Support Group

"Are you going to be okay?" Ethan asked, placing a comforting hand on Lily's shoulder. Lily glanced around the room at all the nervous faces and faintly nodded her head. "It's not too late, you know?" Ethan said. "You can turn round now and we can go home."

It was a Saturday afternoon and Ethan had driven Lily to her first support group. It was a support group for people who had either already been treated for cancer or tumours or were currently undergoing surgery and treatment. It was Connie's idea, as it had been obvious to her that Lily was struggling.

"Don't say that," Lily whispered to him. "Or I will agree to it, and I...I can't..."

"Well, do you want me to stay with you?" He offered. "It's your first session. You're bound to be nervous."

Lily shook her head. "No thank you," she said, managing a small smile. "Thanks for bringing me though."

"No problem," Ethan said and kissed her on the lips. "I'll pick you up in a couple of hours, yeah? Good luck." Lily nodded thankfully, as Ethan gave her hand a squeeze and left.

"Cute one," she heard someone say faintly in her ear.

"Sorry, what?" Lily asked and she turned round to see a woman around her age, maybe a few years older standing next to her. "Sorry. I um...I'm deaf in one ear. What did you say?"

"Cute one," she repeated politely in a louder voice and gestured to where Ethan had exited. "Is he your boyfriend?" Lily smiled and nodded. "First time here?"

"Yeah," Lily sighed and hung her head. "How did you guess?"

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "I can tell. You're all nervous and twitchy." She then held out her hand to Lily. "I'm Maggie by the way."

"Lily," Lily introduced herself, moving her cane to the other hand so she could shake hands with Maggie.

"Do you need some help finding a seat?" Maggie asked, eyeing up Lily's cane. "You can sit with me."

"Thank you," Lily thanked her. "I'm not fully blind though."

"That's fine. I usually sit just over here," Maggie said, taking Lily's arm and guiding her over to the circle of chairs, making sure that she was okay.

Lily could feel all eyes on her and she secretly wished that she had just gone home with Ethan. She couldn't help but miss him, wanting him there with her to hold her hand. Tears pricked her eyes but she blinked them back, not wanting anyone to see her cry.

"Good afternoon everyone," one of the women said.

"That's Angie," Maggie informed Lily. "She runs the group. If you can't hear something she says, just raise your hand. She's good like that." Lily nodded thankfully at her new friend.

"Now, we have someone new joining us," Angie said, gesturing towards Lily. "Lily Chao." Lily smiled awkwardly, unsure whether to say something or not. "Now Lily, we're all a lovely group of people," Angie said. "You can tell us stuff here. If you want to just walk into the room and scream, then do it. That's what we're here for."

"Thanks," Lily laughed, feeling slightly better.

"Told you she was good," Maggie said.

"Now, who would like to start us off?" Angie said. "Don't feel pressured into talking. If you don't want to talk, you don't have to."

Half of the circle raised their hands but Lily felt more comfortable when she noticed that some of them didn't, including Maggie.

* * *

"So, why do you come to the group then?" Lily asked, slipping her coat on. "If you don't mind me asking." It was the end of the support group and Maggie was holding Lily's cane, whilst she put her coat on.

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago," Maggie said. "I'm currently going through chemo at the moment."

"Sorry," Lily apologised. She kind of regretted asking.

"Don't be," Maggie scoffed. "It isn't your fault. Cancer sucks, that's all. What about you?"

"I had a brain tumour," Lily said. "They removed it without any trouble. I'm half blind and deaf though, and I get seizures occasionally."

"Do you know much about tumours?" Maggie asked. "Must have been scary."

"I do know about them, yes," Lily said, taking her cane from Maggie. "I'm a junior doctor at Holby City Hospital so that helps a lot."

"Are you still allowed to work then?" Maggie asked. "With half an eyesight and all."

"Yes." Lily nodded. "I just can't do major surgeries."

"Lily!" Ethan called, making sure to shout quite loud so she could hear him. She spun round and he was at her side immediately, kissing her cheek. "Hey gorgeous. How did it go?"

"Okay," Lily replied and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah. She did well for a first timer," Maggie said.

"Will you be coming back?" Ethan asked, wrapping an arm round Lily.

"I will be," Lily said, shooting a thankful glance at Maggie. "Everyone's really nice. The group's every Saturday, same time."

"Good," Ethan said, giving her another kiss. "I'm proud of you. Fancy going out for dinner this evening? My treat?"

"He's a keeper," Maggie said. "I have to go anyway. Got my husband waiting out in the car, see you next week Lily."

"You too," Lily said, as Maggie left the building. "Where are we going for dinner then?"

"I thought that I'd let you choose," Ethan said, as the two of them walked out. "You did well today princess. Well done." He stroked her hair and smiled lovingly at her. He'd never felt prouder.


	17. Getting Better

**Gillian Kearney Fan: Yeah me too :)**

**theverystuffoflife: Yeah me too and he is a keeper. I'd certainly date Ethan haha :) Aww yeah I do try and write my own characters into my Fanfictions sometimes. I'm working on a new fan fiction and that has one of my own characters in it. That'll be posted soon :)**

**ETWentHome: Yeah there will be more of Maggie. Lots of cuteness to come :)**

**CasualtyFanForever81: Yeah that's kind of where I got the idea from. One of my favourite books, and films :)**

**niamhmcshane22: Thank you :)**

Chapter Seventeen: Getting Better

"You know, I haven't watched Harry Potter in ages," Lily said as she and Maggie sat down in Lily's living room to watch a film. "I haven't seen a film in ages to be honest."

"Me and my sister used to watch constant Harry Potter marathons," Maggie said. "That was before I got ill."

"What happened?" Lily asked her quietly.

"Well, I had constant hospital appointments," Maggie sighed. "My sister just stopped talking to me, started hanging out with her friends and smoking. She just started rebelling. I can't blame her, it must have been hard."

"She should have been supportive though," Lily said. "Do you want a drink anyway?"

"Orange juice if you've got that," Maggie said politely with a smile.

Lily nodded and grabbed her cane before walking into the kitchen. Ethan was in there making dinner. "Is everything okay?" He asked, moving out of the way so Lily could find her way to the cupboard.

"Yeah," she replied, only just being able to hear him. "Getting drinks."

"I'm really proud of you," Ethan said, kissing her cheek. "And it's good that you've made a friend in your position. How are you feeling anyway?"

"Bit of a headache." Lily winced. "But I'm okay."

"I can get the drinks for you," Ethan said. "So go and sit down and have your film evening. Okay? You haven't had much fun these past couple of months, you deserve it."

"Thank you," Lily thanked him and gave him a hug. He left the glasses on the kitchen counter and walked back into the living room, leaning her cane against the wall. "Ethan's getting us drinks and we've got pizza for dinner. I hope that's okay."

"You worry too much," Maggie laughed. "Of course it's okay. I set the film up for us."

"Cool," Lily said and Maggie sat down on the sofa beside her.

Ethan watched from the kitchen doorway, smiling. He was just pleased that Lily had made a friend, someone who really understood what she was going through.

* * *

"So how are you getting on?" Connie asked as she and Lily sat in the office at work. Connie was making sure to have constant meetings with Lily to check how she was doing. Things hadn't been easy for her and Lily had had moments of feeling quite low.

"Good," Lily said. "I think that support group is really helping me."

"That's good," Connie said. "Ethan said you've made quite a good friend there."

"Yeah." Lily nodded. "Her name is Maggie. We get on well together. Ethan's been brilliant as well."

"So are you going to keep going to the support group?" Connie asked.

"For the time being," Lily replied. "It's great there because everyone is in the same boat. I'm allowed to have a bad day and I'm allowed to just walk in there and scream if I wanted. No one judges."

"That's great Lily," Connie praised her. "Well done. We're all so proud of you here and we mean that."

"Thank you," Lily thanked her and stood up and hugged Connie randomly.

"Now, what is this for?" Connie asked, awkwardly hugging her back.

"For helping me as well," Lily said. "I um...I never could have got where I am without you. You saved my life and I thank you every day for that."

"You're welcome," Connie said, holding Lily closer. "Now, go on. Get out of here before I start showing my soft spot by crying. Go on."

Lily giggled and nodded. She took hold of her cane and left the office. Once outside, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. She was happy, happy to be working and happy to be alive.

**One more chapter to go guys and that will be the Epilogue. I hope you've enjoyed the story :) **


	18. Epilogue

**ETWentHome: They are indeed. Thank you :)**

**CasualtyFanForever81: Thanks so much. Thanks for keeping up with the story :)**

Epilogue

She sighed deeply as she stood in front of the gravestone. Tears pricked her eyes but she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms round her protectively, determined not to break down crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked his wife, walking over and wrapping his arms round her neck.

Lily smiled to herself, hearing his voice and she rested her head against his chest. "I will be," she whispered softly.

Ethan smiled and kissed her temple.

"Miss you Maggie," Lily agreed quietly and placed the flower on the gravestone.

"She was a good friend to you," Ethan said and came to stand at Lily's side instead, handing her cane over.

"Yeah," Lily said. "She really helped me through that support group. Can't believe it's been a whole year since she died. She was like the only person who ever really understood me."

"I know princess," Lily comforted and wrapped an arm round her, guiding her away from the gravestone. "Come on."

"Mummy!" A small voice called and a small, six year old girl came running over.

"Careful Olivia," Ethan told her. "You know you have to be careful because of mummy's poorly eyes."

"Sorry," Olivia apologised sweetly and wrapped her arms around Lily's legs. "Mummy. Have you been crying?"

"Just a little bit," Lily giggled. She bent down with her cane and kissed her daughter on the cheek. "How about we stop for food on the way home, hmmm? Would you like that?" Olivia nodded with a toothy smile. "Good girl. Is that okay Ethan?"

"Of course," Ethan chuckled. "Want my help walking to the car?"

"Yes please," Lily said.

"Can I help mummy?" Olivia offered kindly.

"Course you can," Lily said and stood up, letting Olivia take her hand. "Thank you baby girl."

"Mummy. Can you tell me the story again?" Olivia asked. "About...About how you lost your eyesight and hearing?"

"Olivia," Ethan scolded. He hated bringing back bad memories of the brain tumour for Lily, but Olivia just stuck her tongue out at him.

"It's okay Ethan," Lily said. "Remember Olivia? Mummy has only lost half of her eyesight so I can still see when you are naughty and when you stick your tongue out at daddy."

"Sorry," Olivia giggled. "I forget. Am I able to hear the story again though?"

"When we're in the car," Lily promised her. Olivia nodded and went silent. "It's okay," Lily whispered and rubbed Ethan's arm. "I don't mind telling her."

"I guess," Ethan sighed. "I guess every little girl deserves to hear the story about their brave mummy." Lily smiled. "What do you fancy to eat anyway?"

"What?" Lily asked, leaning closer to him.

"What do you fancy to eat?" Ethan repeated, a little louder.

"I don't mind," Lily said. "As long as I am with my beautiful family, I really don't mind."

"I love you," Ethan said and kissed her cheek. "You've gone through so much but you've still come out strong and I am proud to call you my wife and the mother of my child."

"Thanks Ethan," Lily said and kissed him back.

"Gross!" Olivia squealed and pulled a face.

Lily giggled and turned back to look at her husband. "I love you too," she said. "And I really could not be any happier."

**THE END**

**I hope you enjoyed the story guys :) **


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